Iran? Iraq?

Something I try to do every day: learn something interesting, useful, or in some other way worth remembering. This morning, during a conversation about I don’t know what, someone said, “Iran. Iraq. What’s the difference?”

The only difference I knew was that in 2003 we (the US) invaded Iraq. Not Iran. What else did I know? That was it!

So I spent a half-hour reading and took these notes:

* Iran and Iraq share a 900-mile border and three-quarters of their names. However, the two countries have different histories and cultures, influenced by shared and unique invaders, emperors, and foreign rulers.

* Iran (pronounced ee-RON) was formerly Persia. Iraq (pronounced ee-ROCK) was formerly Mesopotamia.

* Iran means “land of the Arians.” Iraq means “city.

* Tehran is the capital city of Iran. Baghdad is the capital city of Iraq.

* Iran is 3 times larger than Iraq.

* Iran is a religious state (The Islamic Republic of Iran). Iraq is a constitutional democracy.

* The US invaded Iraq in 2003, and reformed its government. But not Iran.

* Iran is 90% Shia and less than 10% Sunni. Iraq is 60% Shia and almost 40% Sunni. These two Islamic sects have been fighting since the 600s.

* Both countries are major suppliers of crude oil, producing more than 4 billion barrels per day.